Eisele Gallery of Fine Art has pulled together an outstanding collection of over 750 original works of art with a common theme – the artists and/or subject matter that have strong ties to Cincinnati and the Northern Ohio region. Gallery Owner Doug Eisele has divided the collection into four major exhibitions that will open simultaneously on October 23 and will be on display in the Gallery and online until January 15, 2010 subject to prior sale. The four exhibitions are “Queen City Artists – Past and Present,” “Cincinnati Characters,” “Unlikely Confessions” and “Containment of Colors.”
“Queen City Artists – Past and Present” features fresh acquisitions of Cincinnati’s “Golden Age” painters and living artists whose works are in harmony with this earlier period. Included are works by Frank Duveneck, T. C. Lindsay, Edward H. Potthast, Dixie Selden, John Twachtman and John Hauser along with two dozen more. Many of these works were acquired from several private collectors, most of whom had acquired the works directly from the artists years ago.
“Cincinnati Characters” is the accumulated work of Cincinnati/Dayton physician and artist Wesley Kime which includes 120 oil portraits of Cincinnatians painted at The Cincinnati Art Club Sketch Group between 1990 and 2008, described by the artist as “classical, realistic, rather 19th century style that appropriates some of the more effective elements of impressionism”. The influence of Duveneck on the artist is apparent. The paintings are character studies of normal citizens who were of interest to Dr. Kime including the doorman at the Cincinnatian Hotel, a train engineer, several doctors, a baker and a number of beautiful women. The exhibit will also include 110 watercolors of California and Colorado landscapes, Boston and San Pedro harbor scenes and St Louis architectural renderings as well as 10 sparkling jewel toned seascapes. The Gallery was able to acquire the collection directly from the artist.
“Unlikely Confessions” contains 300 original works by Father Robert Hasselhoff, a Cincinnati priest and teacher. Known as “Hass” Hasselhoff was a thought provoking and often politically irreverent artist who took glee in satirizing public events and places ranging from parish meetings to strip clubs. The collection of mostly unseen works by the deceased artist came to the Gallery through a close friend of Hasselhoff’s who collected his works.
“Containment of Color” defines the technique used in 128 abstract works by Herbert Art of Canton, OH. Art was influenced by the stained glass work in Italy and incorporated the look and feel into his abstract works. Starting with fields of color Art defined the fields using black outlines resembling the lead in stained glass to produce abstract impressions mostly of nude females. The Gallery obtained these works directly from Art’s family.
Only a sampling of the works by Hasslhoff and Art will be displayed in the Gallery. Others will be displayed online on the website at http://www.EiseleFineArt.com.
Gallery owner Eisele has emphasized that the works in these exhibitions will be very reasonably priced. Portraits in the “Cincinnati Characters” collection will be priced between $300 and $1500 with many below $500. Many of the landscapes are under $300. With cutting edge pricing Eisele anticipates many of the works will be sold early in the exhibition runs and encourages interested patrons to not delay in making plans to visit the Gallery in person or online.
All four exhibitions will premiere with an opening reception on Friday October 23rd – 6-9pm featuring live music, wine and hors d’oeuvres.
The Eisele Gallery of Fine Art is located at 5729 Dragon Way, Cincinnati, Ohio 45227,
(513) 791-7717, http://www.EiseleFineArt.com.
